TSA agent confiscates sock monkey’s toy pistol

Phyllis May of Redmond, Wash. says she is “appalled and shocked and embarrassed all at the same time” about the incident that happened on Dec. 3.

May has a small business selling unique sock monkey dolls. She says she and her husband were on their way from St. Louis to Sea-Tac and she had a couple of monkeys and sewing supplies with her in a carry-on bag.

“His pistol was in there,” she says of the sock monkey “Rooster Monkburn,” a take-off on John Wayne character “Rooster Cogburn” from the film “True Grit.”

May and her husband were going through the screening process when she noticed that one of her bags was missing.

“And the (TSA agent) held it up and said ‘whose is this?’” she said. “I realized oh, my God this is my bag.”

Abby Martin speaks with Peter Joseph, founder to the Zeitgeist Movement about the philosophy behind the organization, the unsustainability of the current economic system and the model proposed by the movement for a sustainable future that works harmoniously with nature.

The United States Capitol was placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon after a woman tried to ram a car into the White House gate, was chased by Secret Service and exchanged shots with police, sources said.

The suspect — who sources said had a child in the car — was shot and killed, and a shelter-in-place order was lifted at about 3 p.m. At least one Capitol Police officer was injured during the pursuit.

“This appears to be an isolated incident,” said Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine. “Both scenes are under control.”

The U.S. Capitol was placed on lockdown following a car chase and shooting involving a woman who attempted to ram the White House gates.

GRAY, LA (WGNO) — A student at H. L. Bourgeois High School accused of using a mobile phone app to simulate shooting his classmates was booked and jailed in Terrebonne Parish.

The app is called “The Real Strike” and simulates a first person shooter game, except the battleground is real life.

Wolfe office says a 15-year-old was arrested after posting a video on YouTube using the Real Strike app to shoot other kids at school, “He said it was a result of him being frustrated and tired of being bullied. He said that he had no intentions of hurting anybody. We have to take all threats seriously and we have no way of knowing that without investigating and getting to the bottom of it.”

He says the student was arrested for terrorizing and interference of the operation of a school.

Parents told investigators their son does not have access to any fire arms.

Operations at JFK airport were not disrupted

A Postal Service mail sorting facility at New York’s JFK International Airport has been quarantined today after a suspicious package tested positive for VX nerve gas.

Two Customs agents were sicked Sunday morning after inhaling the strange odor coming from the package, which unconfirmed reports indicate was shipped to the United States from China.

Authorities say it is unlikely that the substance in the package is actually the deadly chemical weapon, but they are taking no chances.

Operations at JFK International airport were not disrupted by the report of a chemical nerve agent being discovered at a mail facility

The New York Postreports that the Postal Service facility – which is responsible for sorting international mail bound for the eastern U.S. – and a Customs office a quarter mile away were both quarantined.

After the Customs and Border Control agents were overcome, an initial test revealed that the package contained ‘chemical-grade weapons and nerve gas.’

A second test said the chemical was VX nerve gas, a deadly synthetic chemical weapon that can be absorbed through the lungs or the skin.

A suspicious package at a JFK airport mail sorting facility caused a brief scare and quarantine Sunday–and all because of a bag of cosmetics.

The FBI says a package was tested after two customs workers reported they felt ill after opening it contained beauty supplies.

The package, which originated from China, was likely full of fumes due to a broken bottle of nail polish remover.

Panic: New York HazMat teams and the FBI rushed to JFK airport Sunday after a package in a mail sorting facility tested positive for deadly nerve gas

‘The FBI screened and tested the employees and the package they opened,’ FBI spokesman J. Peter Donald said in a statement. ‘The package in question was determined to be beauty supplies and nothing further. The scene has been cleared by FBI personnel.’

Donald said said agents have cleared the scene.

He said the employees and the package were tested and screened out of ‘an abundance of caution.’

The entire world is waiting – watching for your signal, your cue. They wait for the call of your voice, the announcement of your arrival. This sleeping giant grows restless with unease. The silence breeds madness in the desperation of so many set in the very ways that inspire their own hopelessness – too dependent on the system around them to make the first steps toward liberation; too afraid to leave the comforts of miserable domestication by the state. It’s your voice they wait for, your initiative to take heed of your responsibilities to the world around you should you have the courage to take a stand in the face of overwhelming odds. After all, this isyourfuture we are talking about.

Many of you may be students – some preparing to begin college, others perhaps already in the midst of pursuing a “higher education”. Regardless, you have no doubt noticed the unacceptably, unjustifiedhigh cost of tuition– the price you pay for a promising and semi-successful future. Yet, that promise (or illusion of promise) has become increasingly less convincing in a world where a high percentage of college graduates not onlyfail to find a career in their field of study, but a growing percentage end up so financially strapped from student loan debt and lack of sustainable income that they find themselvesmoving back in with their parentsafter four or more years of college education. What is the sense in accumulating massive amounts ofdebtpursuing a degree that provides absolutely zero certainty of financial well-being? You do not need a college education to wait tables or prepare fast-food orders, and yet agrowing percentage of college graduates find themselves doing just that.

This is the new age – same as the last. War, poverty, violence, corruption and injustice plague our world and continue to spread throughout. The system –thissystem in which we live has become destructive and violent. The machine that drives it is composed of the planet’s most powerful financial, governmental, and corporate entities pursuing even more power and profit. We have used our most incredible technological discoveries and scientific breakthroughs for means of destruction and financial gain, meanwhilesuppressing advancements to free societyfrom controlled resources. Domestic surveillance programs are expanding at a rapid pace by governments around the world with the United States seemingly taking the lead. All forms of digital communication are subject to being monitored without warrant or reason through programs likeTrapwire,Stellar Wind,ARGUSand more. Your privacy is now a thing of the past all in the name of state-sanctioned “security” from the very threats that the state propagates and encourages you to fear.

This imperial system isracist,violentandmurderous. Profit outweighs fairness and ethical practices. The financial growth and expansion of multinational corporations and institutions rests upon the shoulders of the people of this planet – crushing our backs beneath the demands of the system. Our livelihoods are minimalistic in comparison to the top echelons of big-business and world banking – a struggle that has encompassed the globe. We spend our lives pursuingfiat-currency– paper that holds no value other than that which is dictated by the very system that preys upon the common person. These entities haveinfiltrated governments around the globeand imposegreat influence on policiesand decisions; their interests pushed ahead of the interests of the people and often cause further suffering and/or injustice. Your livelihood, your quality of life and in many circumstances, thelongevityof your life is dependent on your financial well-being – binding you to commit your obedient consent to the system which denies you of your basic human needs without first paying the price. Any decent, sensible human-being can understand the problem this entails. Chances are, deep down you already know something just isn’t right in this world.

The fact that this is the harsh reality is not your fault. The events that have come to pass that have led to our current situation were beyond your control and set in motion before many of you were even conceived. However, if you continue to stand idly by and allow these occurrences to take place without standing for what is right and just, without standing for a better future, then the truth of the matter is you will be all there is to blame. Stop settling for “just the way things are” – it does not have to be this way. Only in our own apathetic dismissal and inaction do we restrict ourselves to such confines. Do not make the same mistakes as previous generations. Resist society’s push to conform you into a set path that is clearly failing. Stand up for what is right – strive for a better world where fairness, justice and equality are doctrine, and compassion, empathy and sustainability are paramount.

Think outside the box. Question everything. Begin thinking in revolutionary ways. Forget everything you have been told. Is the current modus operandi the best way? The only way? What can you do to impact the world around you? Take the lead – set the example. Become actively engaged in the world around you and begin educating yourself not only with current world events, but look to history for lessons. Discover ways to become less dependent on the system and promote a much more self-sufficient lifestyle. Utilize technology in ways that empower you, your community and the world. Vast resources and information are at your disposal and the only thing that has prevented you from utilizing these materials is society’s push to focus on distraction and entertainment. Find enjoyment in dissent. Take pride in your activism and encourage others to do the same. Stop the mindless pursuit of self and instead practice empathy and compassion. Do what you can to make life better for others and find reward in your actions. After all, is a life lived for yourself more gratifying than a life lived for others? Will you be remembered for selfish, material success or for selfless commitment?

Where do go from here?

When one begins to recognize the faults and fallacies of our modern world, it is quite easy to become overwhelmed. You want to make a difference; you desire a change, and yet the concept ofchanging the worldbecomes such a large task that many simply choose to give up on the idea altogether. It is easy to see how we ended up where we are today when you realize this. However, with the advancements in technology and the opportunities brought to the table via the internet, many of the traditional barriers and obstacles encountered by previous generations of activists and concerned citizens are a thing of the past. With the capability to bring people together from all over the planet and present ideas to the masses, the internet provides us with nearly infinite possibilities, resources, tools and potential if only we utilize it properly and efficiently. Coupled with the efforts of traditional activism, i.e., flyer hanging, pamphlet disbursement and good old-fashioned demonstrations, marches and protests, we the people are capable of making a substantial impact – perhaps more so than we even give ourselves credit.

The true power in this world belongs to the people. We are the gears in the machine, the cogs that keep this system in motion. Our hands built the roads, buildings and other infrastructure. Our daily lives finance the operation of the machine. Simply put, we are holding all the keys and the only obstacles in our paths are ourselves. Our own manipulated perspectives of reality are holding us back, preventing us from stepping through the doorway to a more peaceful, reasonable existence. Never doubt the power of an informed people, actively engaged and fearlessly standing against injustice. The power that the people hold with civil acts of defiance are simple, efficient and effective and in the face of injustice, it is the duty of the people to stand firmly in opposition. Where do we go from here? Ultimately, we are the answer to our own question. We must turn to one another, recognize our common fate, our shared andequalexistence on this planet and our shared duty to establish a more stable, sustainable way of life in harmony with our surroundings and with respect for our planet. We the people will either become our salvation from destruction, or our own demise.

A simple solution needs only commitment, organization, a plan of action and consistent momentum. Certainly nothing is ever accomplished without first making a commitment to not only become involved,but tostayinvolved through the process. We do not have the luxury of dismissing our own individual responsibilities, lest we ourselves become a part of the problem. Organization is key to success in most circumstances and certainly helps activists become more effective in their efforts. Obviously, if a movement of any variety lacked organization it would merely become a chaotic and ineffective mess. Strategy, planning and organization will provide a sense of solidarity and a clear direction for action. Most importantly, without continued dedication and momentum, even the most organized and planned out movements are doomed to stagnancy. To prevent this from happening and to assist in the first steps to addressing the problems, I will break down a simple plan for us to begin our path to true effective change in three basic steps.

Florida House and Senate budget leaders have awarded Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw $1 million for a new violence prevention unit aimed at preventing tragedies like those in Newtown, Conn., and Aurora, Colo., from occurring on his turf.

Bradshaw plans to use the extra $1 million to launch “prevention intervention” units featuring specially trained deputies, mental health professionals and caseworkers. The teams will respond to citizen phone calls to a 24-hour hotline with a knock on the door and a referral to services, if needed.

The goal will be avoiding crime — and making sure law enforcement knows about potential powder kegs before tragedies occur, Bradshaw said. But the earmark, which is a one-time-only funding provision, provoked a debate Monday among mental health advocates and providers about the balance between civil liberties, privacy and protecting the public.

Bradshaw said his proposal is a first-of-its-kind in the nation, and he hopes it will become a model for the rest of the state like his gang prevention and pill-mill units.

“Every single incident, whether it’s Newtown, that movie theater, or the guy who spouts off at work and then goes home and kills his wife and two kids — in every single case, there were people who said they knew ahead of time that there was a problem,” Bradshaw said. “If the neighbor of the mom in Newtown had called somebody, this might have saved 25 kids’ lives.”

Bradshaw is readying a hotline and is planning public service announcements to encourage local citizens to report their neighbors, friends or family members if they fear they could harm themselves or others.

The goal won’t be to arrest troubled people but to get them help before there’s violence, Bradshaw said. As a side benefit, law enforcement will have needed information to keep a close eye on things.

“We want people to call us if the guy down the street says he hates the government, hates the mayor and he’s gonna shoot him,” Bradshaw said. “What does it hurt to have somebody knock on a door and ask, ‘Hey, is everything OK?’ ”

He said he met with Bradshaw about the program and “got assurances from the sheriff that this is going to be done in a way that respects people’s autonomy and privacy, and that he makes sure to protect against people making false claims.”

Mental health advocates, however, worry about a potential new source of stigma, and the potential for erosion of the civil rights of people with mental illnesses.

“How are they possibly going to watch everybody who makes a comment like that? It’s subjective,” said Liz Downey, executive director of the Palm Beach County branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “We don’t want to take away people’s civil liberties just because people aren’t behaving the way we think they should be.”

Bradshaw acknowledged the risk that anyone in a messy divorce or in a dispute with a neighbor could abuse the hotline. But, he said, he’s confident that his trained professionals will know how to sort out fact from fiction.

“We know how to sift through frivolous complaints,” he said.

The proposal still needs the blessing of Gov. Rick Scott, who has line-item veto authority.

8th grade student suspended, arrested over gun t-shirt

When 8th grade Jared Marcum got dressed for school on Thursday he says he had no idea that his pro-Second Amendment shirt would initiate what he calls a fight over his First Amendment rights.

“I never thought it would go this far because honestly I don’t see a problem with this, there shouldn’t be a problem with this,” Jared said.

It was the image of a gun printed on Jared’s t-shirt that sparked a dispute between a Logan Middle School teacher and Jared, that ended with Jared suspended, arrested and facing two charges, obstruction and disturbing the education process, on his otherwise spotless record.

Jared’s father Allen Lardieri says he’s angry he had to rush from work to pick his son up from jail over something he says was blown way out of proportion.

“I don’t’ see how anybody would have an issue with a hunting rifle and NRA put on a t-shirt, especially when policy doesn’t forbid it,” Lardieri said.

UPDATE: 8th grader suspended over t-shirt returns to school

Jared Marcum, the eighth grade Logan, West Virginia student who was suspended and arrested after refusing to change his NRA t-shirt at school, was met by several supporters Monday morning outside of Logan Middle School.

Jared returned to class, fresh off of suspension, wearing the same exact shirt that initiated the “t-shirt control” controversy in the first place.

“There’s a lot of people wearing this same exact shirt, showing great, great support and I really appreciate it,” Jared said just before walking into school.

Jared’s father, Allen Lardieri, says getting Jared back into school was his first priority.

“We’ve completed the first leg of what we wanted to accomplish here,” Lardieri said. “Now, we’re working on the next step, which is trying to clear his name.”

Lardieri says that he was informed by Logan City Police on Thursday that his son was facing two charges, obstructing an officer and disrupting the education process. However, Jared’s attorney Ben White says that wasn’t the police department’s call to make.

“He was arrested, he was put into handcuffs, he was removed from the school and brought to the Logan City Police Department,” White said. “Charges aren’t officially filed or brought until the prosecuting attorney’s signs off on them and they don’t do that willy nilly. They do that after a thorough investigation.”

Caution Now Entering The Twilight Zone ………….

There is quite a big difference between presenting evidence that is pertinent to the case. Evidence that might give some clue as to the reasoning behind such an act. Now I may be way off base here , but what in the hell does this woman having been arrested for shoplifting have anything to do with what her sons are accused of doing?

Immigrants are not the only ones who may be guilty of shoplifting….Plenty of American born people that have never even been to another country much less be involved with a terrorist plot are arrested on a daily basis for shoplifting from Stores all over America.

So what the hell is the point of this?

Haven’t these people been through enough?

Last I checked even if their sons are guilty it does not make them guilty by association.

Or will they also be treated as enemy combatants?

And then we have these details that are being “reported” here. Somewhat strange and begging t he questions why and what for …..at least in my mind.

Tamerlan reportedly had a bomb strapped to his chest when he was killed while he and his brother robbed a 7-Eleven, tried to steal an SUV and threw explosives at police officers.

They used the carjacking victim’s debit car to withdraw $800 from an ATM.

OK…… If they robbed the 7Eleven why did they take the 800 out of the carjacking victims account?

If they had planned this would it not stand to reason that they would have prepared a getaway? Supposedly these were two very smart guys.

They didn’t have an escape plan?

It was obvious this was not a suicide bombing otherwise they would both be dead . So we know it wasn’t the typical Jihad suicide bomb deal. So not typical and not very well planned out. It seems

If he had a bomb strapped to his chest why not say he was giving himself in and detonate when there were enough cops close enough to take out ?

Or just take himself out so he could not be taken alive? I mean it’s not like he knew he was going to get away by some miracle the cops were just going to walk away and leave him be, right ?

All actions would indicate he wanted to live or so it seems.

Does that seem like the type of plan two highly intelligent guys would come up with?

Knowing they were not going to kill themselves in the explosion, having no escape plan and hoping that the oldest brother’s Facebook messages to friends that they stay safe would throw people off their trail?

The entire Nation witnessed on TV the manhunt for Chris Dorner , they would have seen it just like the rest of us did. The extent to which law enforcement went , the amount of manpower used.

We are told that according to cryptic messages left on Facebook accounts that this was planned for a very long time. We are also expected to believe that while they were planning this bombing for months they never once considered planning for their escape and the fact that they would need money?

Months of planning came down to robbing a 7 Eleven to get money to what – get out of the country ? WOW!

Really ?

As with Aurora Colorado, Sandy Hook and Chris Dorner there seems to be more questions than answers to the official reports. I don’t have any answers , only more questions. This is becoming a very disturbing trend.

One wonders if next we will be told there were actually mentally unstable , under psychiatric care and the influence of psychotropic drugs…….

The mother of the two Chechnyan brothers suspected of setting off two bombs at the Boston Marathon was arrested last year for allegedly stealing $1,600 worth of clothes from an upscale department store.

Zubeidat K. Tsarnaeva, 45, was charged with two counts of malicious/wanton damage and defacement to property after allegedly swiping the merchandise from a Lord & Taylor in Natick, Mass. in June 2012.

She also spoke today to proclaim that her son’s didn’t plant the bombs and that they are ”100 per cent innocent.’

Scroll down for video

Zubeidat K. Tsarnaeva, mother of the terrorist suspect brothers Dzokhar and Tamerlan, said her sons’ are ‘100 per cent innocent’

Zubeidat K. Tsarnaeva’s two sons have been accused of planting the two bombs that exploded at the Boston Marathon on Monday. She was arrested last year for allegedly shoplifting from a Lord & Taylor

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev is still on the loose after being identified as one of the Boston Marathon bombers

Tamerlan Tsarnaev attended Bunker Hill Community College and was studying to become an engineer but took a year off to pursue boxing. He is a two-time Golden Glove champion

It’s a set-up: Mother of Boston bomb suspects speaks out

‘This is a set up, my son would never ever carry out such terror attack,’ she said Friday.

She went on to say: ‘FBI knew everything what my son was doing, told me he was serious leader, that they were afraid of him.’

Mrs Tsarnaeva went on to say that Dzhokhar was raised in the US and insisted that ‘no one ever talked about terror’ in their house.

Chicago Muslims condemn actions of Boston bombing suspects

At weekly prayer, congregations also brace for backlash

That was the immediate response of Chicago Muslims when reports surfaced that the Boston Marathon bombing suspects shared their faith.

As a manhunt for one of the suspects unfolded Friday, Islamic communities across Illinois gathered for their weekly congregational prayers. Imams carefully wove their sermons around the news coverage, while the faithful prayed for protection from an inevitable backlash.

Fayed Khan, president of the Downtown Islamic Center, said even if the suspects claimed Islam as their world view, “their actions indicate they’re not Muslim.”

“It will be condemned to the ultimate extent,” Khan said, the urgency in his voice so intense his words ran together.

Just as the suspects’ uncle Ruslan Tsarni decried the potential scars inflicted upon the family’s Chechen community, Muslim doctors, lawyers, teachers and parents braced themselves for the types of insults, accusations and stares they’ve come to expect ever since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

But it was evident on Friday that weariness now accompanies their urgency.

“Under current circumstances, there’s always a knee-jerk reaction. ‘Oh, God. Please keep us protected from wayward folks,’ ” said Kareem Irfan, a Chicago attorney and imam who preached in a Peoria mosque on Friday. “As a leader, I feel distressed that we have to respond with denial and condemnation. I hope it becomes more and more clear to society that there are nut jobs of all faiths.”

Similarly, Dr. Mohammed Kaiseruddin, a physician and imam who preached in the Downtown Islamic Center in Chicago, resents the need to defend his community but has become resigned to that reality.

“We were holding our breath that the suspects or perpetrators would not be identified as Muslim,” said Kaiseruddin, who is also chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. “But it has happened now. The guy who sent the ricin letter, what faith did he belong to? Sandy Hook. What faith did he belong to? That was never reported. It’s becoming a routine drill for us, unfortunately.”

A relative of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects said he repeatedly warned the 19-year-old fugitive Dzhokhar Tsarnaev about the bad influence of his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed overnight in a shootout with police.

A picture has begun to emerge of 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev as an aggressive, possibly radicalized immigrant who may have ensnared his younger brother Dzhokhar — described almost universally as a smart and sweet kid — into an act of terror that killed three people and injured more than at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday.

“I used to warn Dzhokhar that Tamerlan was up to no good,” Zaur Tsarnaev, who identified himself as a 26-year-old cousin, said in a phone interview on Friday from Makhachkala. “[Tamerlan] was always getting into trouble. He was never happy, never cheering, never smiling. He used to strike his girlfriend. He hurt her a few times. He was not a nice man. I don’t like to speak about him. He caused problems for my family.”

Zaur Tsarnaev said he most recently expressed his concerns about Tamerlan — the alleged bomber pictured in a dark hat in FBI videos released Thursday — to Dzhokhar when Dzhokar visited last summer. He added that Dzhokhar went to mosque sometimes but he was “never an extremist.”

“Dzhokhar is a sweet boy, innocent. He was always smiling, friendly and happy,” Zaur Tsarnaev said. “I don’t know how he is involved in this.”

A YouTube account with Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s name includes a playlist that features a video dedicated to the prophecy of the Black Banners of Khurasan, which is apparently embraced by Islamic extremists, including Al Qaeda. It could not be confirmed whether the user is the same person as the dead bombing suspect.

Ruslan Tsarni, an uncle of the suspects living in Maryland, said he has never known the family to have ill will toward the United States but when asked what may have provoked them, he said “being losers, hatred to those who were able to settle themselves. These are the only reasons I can imagine. Anything else to do with religion, to do with Islam, it’s a fake.”

Tsarni said the suspects’ father, an auto mechanic, has had limited influence on them and recently moved back to Russia. Ruslan said he no longer has anything to do with that family, but would not elaborate on what led to the falling out.

“I just wanted my family away from them,” Tsarni said.

Dzhokar and Tamarlan Tsarnaev came from southern Russia, near war-torn Chechnya, more than five years ago, and assimilated through school and sports into the Greater Boston community and culture.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the alleged bomber pictured in a dark hat in FBI videos released Thursday, was a talented boxer with hopes of joining the US Olympic team, people who knew him said.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the suspect seen in FBI photos in a white cap, is a student at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, the school confirmed. He was an all-star wrestler and a member of the class of 2011 at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, and won a Cambridge City Scholarship that year. He was on the run Friday morning and the target of an unprecedented manhunt in Greater Boston.

But within the brothers’ ordinariness, there were also subtle signs of alienation.

“I don’t have a single American friend,” Tamerlan said in a photo essay about his love of boxing. “I don’t understand them.”

John Allan, owner of Wai Kru Mixed Martial Arts Boston, said the older brother, Tamerlan, was an accomplished amateur boxer, competing in the national Golden Gloves competition.

“He was the best boxer in Boston,” said Allan, who remembers helping in a competition three years ago. “He smoked all the professionals.”

Allan said Tsarnaev was trained by his father, who was also a skilled boxer. And he was always respectful. “They were an incredible family….This was so shocking to me.”

But Tsarnaev hadn’t been to the Wai Kru Mixed Martial Arts center in years, instead going to another nearby boxing gym. Until this month. Allan, who is currently traveling in Thailand, got an e-mail within the past week saying Tsarnaev showed up at the gym acting rude and disrespectful, using other people’s equipment, walking on the mats with his shoes.

“It was a clear indication that something was up,” Allan said, noting that Tsarnaev hadn’t even been to his gym before the incident in years. “He was becoming a complete [expletive].

“It was completely out of place of place for him,” said Allan, who was also contacted by the FBI about Tamerlan.

In the photo essay, called “Will Box for Passport,” Tamerlan stops to answer a phone call while walking from his Mercedes to the martial arts center. He has a long wool scarf wrapped fashionably around his neck and gleaming white leather slip-on shoes and is carrying an Oceanfly dufflebag.

He said in the essay that he quit smoking and drinking. “God said no alcohol.” A Muslim, he says, “There are no values any more,” and worries that “people can’t control themselves.”

People who knew the suspects struggled today morning to reconcile the young men they knew, who lived on Norfolk Street in Cambridge, with the acts of terrorism they are accused of committing.

“He was normal,” said Lulu Emmons, who went to Rindge & Latin, the city’s public high school, with Dzhokhar.

“He kind of fit in with everyone. Not really close with anyone, but he was friendly.

“I am just a little shocked. I sat next to this guy. I joked with him. I laughed with him. I had class with him. It is a little crazy,” she said.

Former teacher and school photographer at Rindge, Larry Aaronson, said he knew Dzhokhar.

“If someone were to ask me what the kid was like, I would say he had a heart of gold,” he said. “He was as gracious as possible.”

Aaronson knew Dzhokhar came from near a war zone and they had conversations about this. “All of this is just freaking me out.”

Pamala Rolon, a senior at UMass Dartmouth and a resident assistant at the Pine Dale dorms on campus, said she knew Dzhokhar for the past year and finds it incredible that he could have played any role in the bombs at the Boston marathon.

“He studied. He hung out with me and my friends,” she said in a telephone interview Friday. “I’m in shock.”

Rolon, 22, said the 300 or so students at the dorm were evacuated this morning by school authorities as the campus was shut down.

Boston Bombings Have Led to Multiple Revenge Attacks on Innocent Muslims

The same week that the New York Post first falsely reported the Boston bombing suspect was a Saudi national then falsely put a Moroccan-American track runner on its cover, it accurately reported on Friday an attack on an innocent Bangladeshi man living in the Bronx who some “idiots” mistook for an Arab. Abdullah Faruque, a South Asian network engineer, was at an Applebees on Monday night when he was accosted by a group of three or four men, reports the Post, after they asked if he was an Arab. It wasn’t until he got home, his shoulder dislocated, that he found out about the bombing at the Boston Marathon. “I saw the news, and then it hits me: That’s why I got jumped,” he told the Post.

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